One Step Closer: 14 Dangerous Stairs That Make You Question The Sanity Of All That Try Them

I try to take the stairs whenever possible. Might as well get some extra steps in, right? And unlike elevators, you never have to wait for them to arrive. Plus, I usually consider stairs to be safer than elevators, as there’s no risk of getting trapped inside. But not all staircases are created equal, and some look like they’re just itching to injure anyone brave enough to climb them.

That’s where the Death Stairs Facebook group comes in. This community is dedicated to showcasing the most lethal stairwells and staircases from all around the world. We’ve gathered some of the group’s most frightening pics below, so good luck scrolling through without developing a new phobia. Keep reading also to find conversations with the group's creator, Lane Sutterby, and one of the group's administrators, Duffy Toler. And be sure to upvote the stairs that you hope never to encounter!

14 PHOTOS

#1 A Somewhat Different Interpretation Of Death Stairs. Seen In Sayulita, Mexico

We're big fans of the Death Stairs group here at Pictolic, so it's not the first time we've featured them. But we wanted to find out what the community has been up to over the past couple of years, so we reached out to the group's creator, Lane Sutterby.

"The Death Stairs group membership has grown exponentially since last we spoke," he shared. "We’re sitting at 950k now, and I can’t wait to crest a million. Truly wild to me. We’ve made no major rule changes, but we did have to start forbidding AI images - we only want death stairs that exist in real life!"

#2 Wedding Hall Stairs

"We haven’t seen any crazy new trends, mainly what it’s always been; ridiculous AirBnB loft stairs, sketchy hotel or bar staircases, scary sets out in nature, etcetera," Lane continued. "And somehow we continue to find new images of these things from all over the world, not sure there will ever be an end!"

We also wanted to know if the creator has come across any new favorite death stairs recently. "I particularly enjoy the staircases that have two or more upper sets that converge on a single lower set in new and creative ways," Lane noted. "Always makes one have to stop and wonder what was going through the head of whoever built them…"

#3 The Stairs From The Main Part Of The Holiday Unit We Arrived At Yesterday Leading Up To The Bathroom

The creator also has some wise words for anyone who encounters Death Stairs in the wild: "My advice for surviving Death Stairs is the same as it has been - just be slow and careful, pay attention and stay calm, it’s just stairs! You can do it."

Finally, Lane wanted to give a huge thank you to his admin and mod team. "Somehow, just four people have been able to help me keep this group running like a fine Swiss watch, and I owe them everything."

#4 I Feel Like These Count

We were also lucky enough to get in touch with one of the group's administrators, Duffy Toler, to hear more about how the group has been doing over the past couple of years.

"We got a large influx of people from Pittsburgh - the place has a lot of dangerous stairs from the coal mining days," he shared with Pictolic. "In the winter, we get a bunch of dangerous stairs covered in snow."

#5 A Little Concerned About Navigating These Stairs In My Hotel Apartment After A Few Drinks

Duffy also shared some clever advice for encountering death stairs. "My advice for surviving some of the very steep ones is: don't be embarrassed to go down them backward," he noted. "They are easier to negotiate when they are so steep they are almost ladders."

#6 They Might Be The Death Of You If You Can't Find Your Way Out... Anyway, The Picture Is Almost Escheresque

Many of us walk up and down stairs every single day without a second thought. Unless you have a disability that prevents you from taking the stairs, it’s pretty much impossible to avoid them. Experts recommend that we all climb between three and six flights of stairs per day to keep our hearts healthy.  

But I have to admit, when it’s a little too dark in my building’s stairwell or there’s a small amount of ice on the ground, I suddenly become terrified of the same walk I’ve done every day for years. I am acutely aware of the fact that one wrong move could leave me with a broken arm, a sprained ankle or, at the very least, a massively bruised ego.

#7 Old Farmhouse Steps

#8 LOL LOL Realty Listing In Edmonton. See Where The Back Door Is?

#9 They Are Not Death Stairs But They About K****d Me Building Them. 13 Landings 39 Steps 4 Stories. It Was Constructed Using All Mortise And Tenons With Half Lap Joinery. No Nails Or Screws

Just like driving a car, walking up and down the stairs is something most of us do every day that’s much more dangerous than we often realize. According to a 2023 study, the age groups most likely to fall down the stairs are children under 3 and adults over 85. But what you might not expect is that young adults in their twenties are the next group that’s most likely to take a tumble down a staircase.

#10 Some Stairs In A Bungalow I'm Working On. They've Also Added A Decapitation 2000 Ceiling Fan At Throat Level Which I Think Is A Nice Touch

#11 Steps Up To Our B&B in Portugal

#12 Made In Hungarian. Moreover, The Sticks Were Flexible

According to the study, certain risk factors can make individuals more likely to trip down the stairs, including their choice in footwear, whether or not they use the handrail, how closely they watch their feet, using electronic devices while walking, skipping steps, putting their hands in their pockets, chatting while walking and carrying objects. 

The researchers found that over two-thirds of participants were guilty of two or more risky behaviors when going up or down stairs. And when it comes to women, a whopping 80% could make safer decisions when climbing stairs. 

#13 I Think This Belongs Here....

#14 Stairs To A Second Floor Of A Historical Building In The Ethnographic Museum In Riga, Latvia